Description
The project will focus on rainwater harvesting, recycling and reuse. It will involve children, parents, local communities and general public. The objective of the project is increasing of public environmental awareness in adaptation to climate change issue. Through the project implementation increased knowledge of children about climate change adaptation measures will be achieved. The curricula focused on management of rainwater and climatic changes will be modified for the school education programme. Educational activities focused on environment will be organised. Children, students and civil services are expected to benefit from the project implementation. The Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute will cooperate in the development of measures to monitor impacts directly on the ground.
Summary of project results
The project was needed to optimalize water cycle and build rainwater retention system in the area of Elementary School. The school is located in overdried territory of Eastslovak plain. Currently, there is a large amount of dust and allergens in the air that students inhale and which cause frequent alergies and respiration diseases. This is the main reason why we decided to change a management of rainwater system at school. We improved microclimate in the area of school by dewatering. A parking lot in front of school is no longer flooded with rainwater. Thanks to this project, the environmental education has important place at our school. The managament of water is directly implemented into related school subjects and free-time school clubs. The project has a great deal of positive effects such as prevention against floods, drought and reduction of negative effects of climate changes. The environmental awareness in our communiy has raised as well. By this project, we created a bioretention system that consists of : building rainwater traps that absorb water from school roof to collecting containers, water gardens and water lakes. We built 2 water gardens and one part of waste water from school roof is diverted to irrigation. School field was revitalized with landscape gardening and completion of ground. The project's outcomes are: 4 various adaptable measures were implemented in the project, 87% of school area is dewatered, 40 trees were planted, 2 water gardens were built. 232 students joined this project ( we've planned 225) and 3 other organizations joined the project. We created 1 website that had 2893 unique visitors ( we've planned 100 000). There were 2 conferences, we hosted 3 seminars for public and volunteers, and 1 conference about enviromental awareness- climate changes. 3 teachers were part of retrain programme.
Summary of bilateral results
By bilateral partnership we achieved wider understanding of issues of climatic changes in our region, improved microclimate and possibility to reach sustainable development. This project is also on behalf of all our citizens as well. Whole community is using these new objects we built. The municipality provided volunteers who helped expert from Research center in Norway to monitor the area. This center in Norway is directly solving hydrological issues and they helped us with implementing of the bioretention system in solved area. This partnership created strategies that can be applied also in Norway. There was also strengthening launguage proficiency and solving bilateral relations between two countries. We present results of this project on website. This helped to raise public awareness and to improve cooperation.